Sex and the City 2 Review, Part 2 and a BP comment

Well gosh darn it, I HAVE to finish my SATC2 review so that I can move onto other things, such as WHY aren't the BP pricks all in JAIL, arrested and charged for their heinous crimes against nature and humanity?

OK, back to SATC2, and why I liked it.  First, I LOVED the gay wedding. Waaayyy over the top--it was dazzling! Liza Minnelli singing and dancing to "Single Ladies" was pure ART, so inspired, and so absolutely perfect. She puts all the fake lip-syncing music industry product "singers" to shame.

Thought it was a pretty interesting move to bring a big chunk of the movie to Abu Dhabi in the middle east, and show the abundance of wealth over there.  Oil money has not been confined to the rich creepy American oil boys, clearly.  Made me think about the future of the American Empire, or perhaps, the illusion of such.  These days, isn't it really a Global Corporate Capitalist empire, with no national boundary? The boundary is really, "I have the money and power, so I will make the laws I want. You have no money or power, so you either shut up or go to jail."  Need to have a government of, by and FOR the people!!! Isn't that what the constitution says? Oh, wait, I forgot, the Supreme Court decided recently that corporations ARE people. Oops. Time to limit Supreme Court appointments to 4 years at a time.  

I know some may object to the caricature of Muslim men oppressing women, and in particular scantily clad 50 year old women.  But I felt really that they were a stand-in for men in general, in the good old US of A-holes.  And don't tell me women are not oppressed in this country.

Women still earn only 75 cents on the dollar to men for comparable work.  Men are still not held accountable for their crimes (for example, only a tiny percentage of rapes on campuses are ever reported, and an even smaller fraction end up in court).  Women still face aggression, judgment, abuse, ridicule, impoverishment, and all sorts of other very damaging treatment at the hands of men.  So I LOVED the scene where Samantha tells an entire group of judgmental tittering men, "YES I HAVE SEX" and then gives them all the finger.

After all, so much of women's oppression is STILL about controlling or filtering their sexuality.  If it can be turned into a commodity, objectified, used to make women even more insecure, then, hey, that's GREAT.  But if a woman truly claims the right to her OWN body and her OWN sexuality, that is dangerous as hell. Just might lead to a revolution.

What else did I like in this movie? OK, yes it was fun to experience the vicarious thrill of riding in true first class luxury on a plane to Abu Dhabi.  Individual compartments, enough space to sleep, food and drink and warm towels. Made me think I might overcome my fear of flying in such conditions. Might...

I loved the almost ridiculous homage to old-time movie-making.  A handsomely rugged man rides up out of nowhere to a desert tent, leaving the four women gasping. (although admittedly I was the only person laughing at this scene, oh well...)

I HATED Big and Carrie's really fancy NYC apartment. Also not a fan of the luxury suite in the hotel in Abu Dhabi.  Too much Trump-style clutter, and too many dark blues and greys. Maybe a new art director in SATC3?

Also, the male partners of these women were pretty much relegated to the background. That's OK, but for SATC3, I would LIKE to see more of Miranda's bespectacled ex-bartender hubby Steve and Charlotte's sweaty bald sexy Jewish lawyer spouse Harry.  A little bit of Big goes a long way, but maybe Samantha's younger hunk Smith Jarrod could make more of an appearance next time?

OK, that's about it for SATC2.  Next, the much less happy subject of oil criminals who have fully infiltrated the US government.  Ciao for now.
 

Why I Like Sex and The City 2 (Part One)

Disclaimer: I am NOT a SATC fanatic, never have been. But I really enjoyed SATC 2. SATC1 was a little too fluffy for my taste, but SATC2 deals with some hefty issues (OK, not hefty in the sense of war and famine, but how about mother-guilt, workplace bullying, anti-women behavior, pro-sex menopause, gay marriage?). AND it made me laugh. So here is MY review, Part One:

I am 100% convinced that one reason some movie critics are shitting all over SATC 2 is because they are closet misogynists. Misogynists REALLY hate women past the age of about 30, because that is typically the age when women start to SPEAK UP and become less inclined to put up with crap. And of course the SATC women are in fact all over the age of 40, even 50. OMG!!! How shocking!!! Aren't women supposed to be knitting socks and sitting home watching soap operas by that point? How DARE they be out in the world, sharing opinions, traveling to Dubai, getting in trouble, having sex? Don't they KNOW BETTER???? What is WRONG with the world? It seems to have gone completely HAYWIRE!!!

Kathie Lee Gifford commented that "the girls were not well-lit". OK, she has a point. The lighting was not terribly flattering. But you now what, I kind of LIKED that about this movie. It meant that the actresses actually LOOK like 40 or 50-something women, rather than a 45 year old woman with the smooth (botoxed, surgically enhanced, perfectly lit) skin of a 17 year old.

Yes!!! It's a REVOLUTION!!! Again, how shocking. A 50 year old woman on screen, having sex, and sporting a wrinkle or two. No doubt the whole capitalist system is set for a collapse in another year or two, with this kind of revolution taking place on screen.

The funny thing is, a 30-something guy like Ewan McGregor is considered a sexy hunk even when he's got lines and blemishes all over his pretty face. But a 50 year old actress needs to be smooth as a 15 year old, to be considered fuckable (i.e. attractive), at least in Hollywood-land.

Now what is THAT all about? Maybe Hollywood is run by a bunch of borderline pedophiles who really crave pre-pubescent girls? I know the music biz is--I've been to a few music industry events and witnessed the not-so-yummy middle aged creeps slobbering over talentless 16 year olds while passing up interaction with a talented 27 year old woman. So maybe the same is true in H-Wood Land.

OK That's part one. In part two I will deal with fashion vs violence and asexual crones vs sexy hormonal 50 year olds. I will also comment on Carrie and Big's UGLY fancy apartment (PLEASE HIRE a better Art Director for the next film!!!) and the wonderful gay wedding.